Today is World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. HIV-AIDS continued to pose a threat to development and the lives, health and well-being of individuals, in particular women and children, thus promoting the gender equality and the empowerment of women, is important. It is crucial for women in particular to be able to say no to unsafe sex and protect themselves from infections.

Although AIDS is not in the news as much as it was a few years ago, it is still a serious illness that kills many people around the world every year. Because it has not been publicized as much as it was in the past, some people may not be aware of how to avoid getting it. Here are some basic facts everyone needs to know!

To protect yourself from the virus, you should avoid certain behaviors:

First, do not use intravenous drugs. These are drugs that are injected with needles. If you share a needle with an infected person, you are putting their blood into contact with your blood.

Second, do not have sex with many people, and NEVER have sex without protection (a condom AND a spermicide) unless this is the ONLY person you are in a relationship with, and you know with absolute certainty that neither of you are HIV positive. Realize that other birth control measures will NOT protect you from the HIV virus.

Preventing exposure to AIDS is simple, as long as you take these easy steps. For more information about AIDS, call the AIDS hot line at 1-800-342-AIDS.